About Key Largo, Florida

Just eighteen miles south of mainland United States lies a diver's paradise, Key Largo, Florida. More than anything else, Key Largo is a place to relax and play. With an average high-temperature around 80 degrees, it's easy to see why some 11,000 residents call Key Largo their home.

Early Key Largo

In the early 1500's, Spanish explorers landed on the first of a series of islands extending south from the Florida mainland. These explorers named the area "Cayo Largo," or Long Key, because of the island's size. Over the centuries, smugglers, pirates, and buccaneers inhabited the island and sailed the coastal waters. Their legacy can be seen both in actual shipwrecks and in the independent spirit of today's local Key Largo residents.

Diving and Fishing in Key Largo

The main attitude of the island is a relaxed one. Though Key Largo has two busy seasons, December through April and June through August, one never gets the feeling that they are rushed or hurried. Here, time is taken to enjoy life and the surrounding beauty of the area. This love of nature takes two dominant forms, fishing and diving. Most of Key Largo's businesses focus on one or both of these island pastimes. In addition, a healthy reverence for nature is evident in the large number of sanctuaries and protected habitats on the island. The Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center and John Pennekamp State Park are two such facilities devoted to the study and preservation of the island's natural wildlife.

Christ of the Deep

In Key Largo, a heavy emphasis in placed on family activities. Dolphins Plus, for example, is one of the many research centers now operating which entirely focuses on the relationship of dolphins to handicapped children. At Dolphins Plus, the children can swim and interact with the mammals to increase awareness and trust. Diving becomes a family activity as well. Dive sites include visits to the third largest barrier reef on Earth, numerous wrecksites, and, finally, to the must-see of Key Largo, the Christ of the Abyss, or the "Christ of the Deep." This statue, with its upstretched arms and serene visage, rests entirely underwater and gives its blessing to the sea, the island, and to those venturing a visit.

Mile Markers in the Florida Keys

For street reference on the island, mile markers along the Overseas Highway are used in lieu of street addresses. These little green signs can be found every mile and, if you know the number you are looking for, getting around on the island is very easy. Either cars or boats are used most frequently for transportation. Some visitors, as well as local residents, prefer to stay or live in Key Largo over nearby Miami. There is not a long commute between the two cities and for specific destinations, like Homestead and the new Motorsports Complex, Key Largo is just plain closer.

The final word is, whether visiting or relocating, Key Largo has something for everybody. And with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, this island paradise may be just the thing to provide escape from "Big City" hassles.